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The system also includes the M 320 C centre speaker and the M 320 R rear speakers. The M 320 C comes with the same gloss black front panel and wood veneer cabinet as the fronts and features two 130mm fibreglass woofers and a 25mm neodymium tweeter. It can handle up to 160W, which means dialogue shouldn’t be overpowered by the other channels when listening at loud volumes.

The M 320 R bookshelf-style rears feature the same finish and woofer/tweeter combo as the fronts, and they can be mounted on Teufel’s M 110 P stands. Maximum power handling is rated at a reasonable 80W.

In action the Theater 3 system delivers a knockout performance on the whole, getting stuck into the thrills and spills of ”Cloverfield” on Blu-ray with plenty of zeal. Effects from the rear and front channels, such as Army gunfire or the panicked voices of the fleeing crowds, are crisp and decisive thanks to the clean, sharp treble, and they’re fired into the room at a fast pace. It all adds up to an open, detailed and dynamic soundstage that effortlessly amplifies the movie’s sense of excitement.

Dialogue is smooth and forthright from the centre channel, and its wide dispersion means that it sounds just as good even when you’re not directly in its line of fire. The dual sub arrangement pumps plenty of deep bass rumble into the room as the monster stomps around the Manhattan streets. The subs cross over to the fronts seamlessly, which makes for a solid, cohesive sound, but despite this we’re not completely blown away by their performance.

Although the volume and depth of their bass output is impressive, the subs lack the agility of a decent dedicated subwoofer, employing a sledgehammer approach when a more precise and punchy bass sound would have served the action better. Perhaps we’re being picky but it’s definitely worth checking out before you buy to see if you like this sort of brash bass delivery.

In all other respects though the performance is hugely satisfying, particularly stereo music playback with the sub amps switched off. And it’s here that we hear the worth of those integrated subs, as they lend extra bottom-end solidity to musical genres that demand it, such as rock and dance – U2’s ”Get On Your Boots”, for example, is full-bodied and propelled along at a rapid, rhythmic pace with bags of energy and detail. But with the fragile jazz of Miles Davis’ ”Kind Of Blue” CD, it conveys the gentler sounds with admirable skill.

”’Verdict”’

The Theater 3 Hybrid is yet another impressive addition to the Teufel speaker family, delivering an enthralling sonic experience with home cinema fare and handling music with the smoothness and expertise of a much pricier system. As for the integrated subs, their space-saving benefits are an obvious bonus, and although they lack the punch and dexterity of a dedicated bass box, their sheer volume and depth should still be enough to boost your enjoyment of action-packed movie tracks.

Trusted Score

Score in detail

Performance 8

Features 8

Value 9

Design 9

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